Saxenda : the newest recruit into the battle against obesity

Obesity is a growing problem in the UK. A quarter of UK adults are obese, and this proportion could rise further with our increasingly sedentary lifestyles and readily available cheap, unhealthy food. With many of us moving less due to sitting at desks at work, getting around by car and spending more time on the sofa instead of up and about, we burn fewer calories. Combined with a higher calorific intake thanks to the generally lower cost and greater accessibility of unbalanced ready meals and fast food compared with fresh produce, this equates to weight gain. (1)

 Most of us know that on a basic level, the key to losing weight is simply eating less and moving more, so that on a daily basis, calories taken in amount to less than calories burnt. But in reality, many factors can stand in the way of this change in lifestyle, including time constraints and lack of motivation. In addition, several medical conditions such as type II diabetes mellitus, pre-diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and hypothyroidism, as well as certain medications, can make weight loss harder to achieve. That’s why medical intervention may sometimes be needed. (1)

Until recently, there was only one medication – orlistat – licensed to treat obesity in this country. Orlistat stops around a third of the fat in your diet being absorbed, helping to prevent weight gain. However, unpleasant side effects directly related to this mode of action include oily, loose stools, flatulence, urgency to pass stools more frequently than is normal for you, and an oily rectal discharge. (1)

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